Hermione's Admirer
by TheAmazingPurpleNinja
Summary: Hermione sets off for school, thinking that it will be another normal year; as normal as it gets at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, she then finds out that there is more to growing up than getting great grades and a good job...
1. Chapter 1

Hermione's admirer 

Chapter 1

A/N this story is about Hermione growing up and getting into the whole dating ordeal. It's set in year 6 and is rated M just in case. Read and review! Please be gentle as this is my first fan fic .

TheAmazingPurpleNinja

xxxx

"Goodbye, Hermione," my dad shouted after me as I stepped onto the train. I blew him and my mum a kiss then turned to look for Harry and Ron. I walked down the aisle, looking through the compartment windows. Finally, I found them; they were sitting with Ginny and Neville. I opened the door and stepped in.

"Hi, guys," I said cheerily. They all looked up and smiled and I sat down next to Ginny. They all said hello then the boys went back to talking about quidditch. Ginny turned to me and smiled.

"Thank god, I thought you had left me to listen to thrilling stories of quidditch for the whole train ride." Ginny whispered. Ron must have heard, as he was sitting opposite Ginny; in between Harry and Neville and he looked at her with a frown.

"If you didn't want to talk about it Ginny, you should have said something." He said. Ginny shrugged.

"It doesn't matter now does it? I've got Hermione to keep me company," she said. Then she turned back to me.

"Wait. Don't you have to go to the prefect's carriage?" she asked. I gasped. I had forgotten completely! How unlike me. I grabbed Ron's hand and yanked him out of the compartment into the aisle. I ran towards the front of the train, dragging him behind me.

"Slow down, 'mione," Ron said; I didn't, I just went faster until we reached the door. Out of breath I pushed it open and walked inside, letting go of Ron's hand. I apologised to the head boy; Ben Haftly and head girl; Jasmine Truntwood, who were looking quite annoyed, and took a seat. Ron slumped down next to me. I started listening to Ben and Jasmine until the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I felt like I was being watched. I looked around and saw Cormac McLaggen staring at me from the front of the carriage. I blushed and looked away, only half listening to Ben and Jasmines lecture. Deciding to be brave, I looked over to the "lady's man" again and sure enough he was staring, quite intensely, at me. As soon as he realised he had caught my eye, he smiled crookedly. Wow, he was actually quite good looking_. What? Where did that come from?_ I gulped and looked to the floor and tried to concentrate on Ben and Jasmine, who were now giving out the badges. I took mine and smiled at Jasmine. She smiled back and moved on to Ron. I put it into my jacket pocket and did the button up, so I wouldn't lose it. Then I turned back to Jasmine and Ben to hear the rest of their talk. Unfortunately, Jasmine was standing next to Cormac, who was, yet again, looking at me. I looked at Ben instead and tried to listen.

"... which we will give each head of houses to put up in your common room. It should be up by tomorrow, ready for the first pair to patrol tomorrow night. That's about all, so you can go back to your friends now." Ben finished. Merlin! I had missed the whole lecture. I sighed and stood up with the other prefects and joined the queue to leave the carriage. Thank Merlin there was only three prefects from each house, not including Jasmine and Ben, so we were exiting quite quickly. I looked over to Cormac's chair one last time and saw that, weirdly, he was still sitting down, also that he wasn't looking at me. I just had to find out if I was disappointed or relieved. _Oh, dear Merlin, what is wrong with me? _I decided to walk past him quickly and get it over with. I did as planned but, just as I was walking past, the train lurched and caused me to lose my balance and fall directly into Cormac's lap. I looked at Cormac and he raised his eyebrows at me, fighting a smile. Jumping out of his lap, I muttered a quiet apology and got out of the carriage as quickly as I could. I walked down the aisle, practically running and when I heard Ron's loud chuckling I quickly threw my worst glare at him before running off towards the ladies. I went in and found that, thankfully, no one was in there. The train lurched again and I held onto a sink for support. _Did we have a new driver or something? _I looked into the mirror. Goodness, I made a beetroot look white I was so red. I ran the cold water tap and splashed some water onto my face, before patting it dry with the paper towels. I took a deep breath and looked into the mirror again. I looked a bit better, enough to go back anyway. I walked out then walked back to the carriage we were in earlier. I found it and was surprised to find Ginny, Luna and Cho in there, with none of the boys. I was actually relieved as I just knew that Ron would be telling them the story in a much more embarrassing version. Sliding the door open I stepped in before closing it behind me. They looked up and smiled. Ginny patted the space next to her.

"Hey, how was the meeting?" Ginny asked. She obviously hadn't heard then.

"It was fine, apart from falling into Cormac's lap when the train lurched." I winced from the memory. They all gave me a sympathetic expression and Ginny put her arm around me.

"Oh well, I'm sure everyone's forgotten already," Cho said. I smiled and nodded. Then I heard a voice coming from down the aisle, outside the compartment.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" said the familiar voice. Luna smiled.

"Oh, good, the trolleys coming, that's sure to take peoples mind off your incident," she said. I smiled at her gratefully.

"Yeah," I said. I stood up and slid the door open. I stuck my head out and looked down the aisle. She was one compartment down. I came back in and shut the door.

"She's only one down," I said, sitting down. Luna looked thoughtful.

"I hope she has some chocolate frogs left, they always seem to be gone by the time she gets to me," she said. I decided not to mention the fact there was never any left because the trolley always came to her last, since Luna usually chooses the very end compartment. I just smiled.

"I'm sure she will," I said. The familiar face popped outside our window and she opened the door.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" she asked. We all bought our stuff then she carried on. I started to close the door before seeing Ron walking up the aisle. I sighed and sat down, leaving the door open. He reached our compartment and poked his head in.

"Cho, Harry said that he's sorry he hasn't seen you yet but he's a bit occupied at the moment," he said. Harry and Cho have been going out for about five months, including the two they went without seeing each other over summer. Cho frowned.

"Occupied with what exactly?" Cho asked.

"He has to right a four paged apology letter to the driver for complaining about the lurching and jolting going on, it was quite funny actually," Ron said, "that's why he hasn't come to tell you himself," Cho nodded and carried on reading the quibbler.

"Ok, tell him I'll see him at the carriages," she said. Ron pursed his lips for a moment.

"Yeah, the thing is, no one's aloud to talk to him while he's writing it, so ..." he said. Cho sighed.

"Ok, don't worry about it; I'll just look around for him or something. Thanks Ron." Cho said. Ron nodded and looked at me. When he started laughing I got up, got my wand out and chased him down the aisle. I chased him half way to the end of the train, before he fell to the ground, laughing so hard he was doubling over and crying. I have to admit I was laughing quite a lot as well, so I leant back against the near window and slid down until I was sitting on the floor next to Ron. This was a great start to the year. If only I could forget about the prefect meeting...

_I hope you enjoyed it __ please review! The next chapter should be up shortly._

_TheAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xxx_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_A/N The second chapter took a while to write but I hope it was worth it. Please review! (:_

_TheAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xXx_

_Disclaimer – I own the plot and nothing else. These are all the amazing J.K Rowling's characters, and if you didn't already know that then you must live under a rock at the end of your garden._

When we finally calmed down we walked back to the compartment but found it empty.

"Where are they?" Ron asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Maybe they went to get changed. We're probably half way to Hogwarts..." I suggested. Ron nodded.

"Yeah, okay I'm gonna go to the men's and see if Neville or Seamus are there getting changed. See ya." Ron said, backing up the aisle towards the men's changing rooms. I nodded and waved as he disappeared into a crowd of people walking back to their own compartments. I sighed and went into the empty compartment to wait for Ginny, Luna and Cho to get back. Sitting down by the window, I picked up the quibbler from the opposite seat. I had already read it but there wasn't really anything else to do. I'd gotten to the fourth page when I heard the faint click of the compartment door open.

"Hey," I said, without looking up. It must have been one of my friends otherwise they wouldn't have come in. Right?

"Hey," an unfamiliar yet gorgeous voice said. _Oh crap._ I looked over the top of the quibbler to see Cormac sitting across from me...alone. He raised an eyebrow at me and I realised that I had been staring at him. I quickly looked down and closed the quibbler. _What did he want?_

"So, I don't think we have ever been properly introduced. I'm Cormac McLaggen." He said, holding his muscular hand out towards me.

"Um, I'm Hermione Granger."I said shaking his hand. Wow, he had nice hands.

"I know," he said smirking. I blushed and looked at the floor again.

"So, pretty lady, why are you sitting here all alone?" he asked. Of course, being the idiot that I am, I blushed even more when he said "pretty lady".

"I, um, I'm waiting for my friends. They're just changing; at least I think they are." I replied. He raised his eyebrows.

"You think?" he repeated. I sighed.

"Yeah, I don't really know where they are." I said in defeat. He smiled sympathetically.

"Yeah, my friends ditched me as well." He said. I frowned.

"My friends didn't ditch me; I just wasn't here for them to tell me where they were going." I said defensively. He sat back and held his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I just meant that I'm friendless at the moment as well. That's the second thing we have in common." He said. I looked at him confused.

"What's the first thing?" I asked. He smirked and leaned forwards so his elbows were resting on his knees. Therefore, minimising the space between us.

"We both loved it when the train lurched at the end of the prefects meeting." He whispered. My eyes widened and I stood up so quick I got slightly light headed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips. He sat back; crossing his arms then looked out the window.

"I think you know, Granger." He said, mysteriously. I dropped my arms and turned to leave when unbelievably the train jolted AGAIN. Therefore, I lost my balance and almost smacked my head on the compartment door. Well, I would have if a pair of strong arms hadn't of caught my waist. He pulled me upright and turned me towards him but the train suddenly stopped, causing both of us to fall over. Him on the floor and me on top of him. I groaned.

"I'm so sorry, oh Merlin. Did I hurt you?" I asked, attempting to get off of him. He just smiled at me and held me in my place.

"No, I'm fine, you're not exactly heavy. You know, I'm starting to like this driver." He said. I think I stopped breathing but I couldn't be sure as the compartment door suddenly opened.

"Is everything alright in here? No injur- oh!" professor sprouts voice said. I gasped and scrambled to get up and more importantly OFF of Cormac. I finally got to a standing position.

"Um, yes, yes we're fine thanks, professor." I said. She just smirked, with a knowing look and then nodded and walked off, closing the door. I turned back to Cormac and was surprised to find him standing up right next to me. I gasped and jumped back in shock. Unfortunately, I was already standing close to the door and when I jumped back I hit my back on the handle.

"OW!" I exclaimed. I brought my hand to my back and bit my lip to stop myself from screaming. Cormac looked surprised and got rid of the one step between us.

"Are you okay? Did you hit your back on the handle?" he asked. I nodded, almost making my lip bleed.

"Let me have a look." I frowned.

"What good would that do?" He looked down and I thought he blushed but I was probably wrong.

"Um, I used to be in scouts and I, uh, kind of got a badge in first aid." He said. I smiled. Okay so maybe there was more to this guy than I had thought.

"Fine, but be gentle." I said, releasing my lip. He smiled crookedly. Wow.

"Sit down." He said. I did as he said and sat down at an angle so I was facing the window. He sat behind me.

"Lift your top up." He said calmly, as if he was asking me to pass the salad. I lifted it up to the part where it was hurting. I felt a warm hand on my spine, next to where I hit my back.

"Well, you didn't hit your spine; thank Merlin as that would have really hurt." He said. I raised my eyebrows.

"More pain than what I'm already in?" I asked. I heard him chuckle and he moved his hand slightly. I gasped and jerked away.

"Sorry, I take it that's where it hurts?" he asked. I nodded. "Okay, I'm going to get an ice pack, stay there."

"Bit too much pain to move right now," I pointed out. He chuckled.

"I'll be back in a minute," he said. I heard the door open and close and I lifted my top down. I sighed. When I boarded this train I never expected to be in this situation. Sitting on my own, my back killing me, waiting for Cormac McLaggen to come back with an ice pack for it. Wow, no imagination in the world could have seen this coming. I waited about a minute before the door opened and Cormac walked in.

"Okay, I managed to get an ice pack, but I also found out why we are currently at a standstill. The driver has been unknowingly ill and he keeps dropping out of consciousness, which is why the train has been lurching. When we stopped just know he had fainted and he had pulled the brakes on his way down to the floor." Cormac explained, sitting down again.

"Oh, I hope he's alright," I said, turning to face the window and lifting my top up again.

"I'm sure he is," Cormac said, wrapping the ice pack up in a white cloth. I nodded and braced myself for the cold. I gasped as he placed it gently on the area of my back that I hit. Mostly from the pain that the pressure caused but also from the coldness that was creeping through the white cloth. He chuckled.

"Cold?" he asked.

"Just a bit," I said sarcastically. I got goose bumps, but that might be because he was currently holding my side to keep my steady. _HUH?!_ Wow, I need to see someone about this.

"Is that any better?" He asked, I nodded and he took the ice pack off of my numb back. I tugged my top back down and he chucked the ice pack in the bin.

"You're going to have to wait a bit before you lean back, otherwise you'll just hurt your back even more." He said. I already knew that but I nodded anyway. I turned around so I was sitting properly. My back was starting to ache a little from sitting up-right and I sighed.

"Anyway, shouldn't your friends be changed by now?" he asked. I shrugged.

"I guess they weren't getting changed after all." I said. I yawned. I really hated long journeys; they always make me so tired. My eyelids started to get heavy but it would be rude to go to sleep. Suddenly the train started moving again. I smiled; we would probably get to Hogwarts on time now, if not a little late.

"I'd better go and find them," I said. Cormac nodded and stood up.

"Yeah, I'd better see what trouble my friends have gotten into. I'll see you around, pretty lady," he said, and then he left the compartment, walking down the aisle. I sighed. Where could they all be? I stood up and walked out of the compartment. I looked down each side of the aisle. Eerily, no one was standing around, like they usually do. I started walking towards the women's changing room, looking in all of the compartments. There were a couple of students in each of them, talking and some playing wizard's chess, but none of them were my friends. I got to the changing rooms and I walked in. There was only two first years that were going into a cubicle. Huh. I guess they're on the other half of the train. I left the changing rooms and walked back down the train, checking the compartments again. Nope. I got to the compartment I was in and found Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, Cho, Neville and Seamus all in there. _What?_ I opened the door and stepped in. They all looked up and relief washed over their faces.

"Where have you been?" Ginny asked. I frowned.

"What are you talking about? I was in here all the time; I just went out to look for you. Where have you all been?" I asked. They all exchanged worried glances.

"Hermione, you haven't been here, we have. Harry, Seamus and Neville came just after you ran off, chasing Ron." Cho said. I frowned.

"No you weren't. Ron? We came back and they weren't here, remember?" I said. Ron just looked confused.

"Hermione, you're scaring me. I came back on my own. You went off somewhere. Are you alright?" Ron said. I just frowned deeper. I wasn't crazy, was I? Book worm and Gryffindor princess yes, but crazy? No.

**A/N Okay, cliff hanger! I'll get the next chapter up shortly (I mean it this time, I've already started writing it, I promise) so don't forget to review. I don't like flames but I can take it (: Remember the more reviews the faster I can get the next chapters up. Thanks for reading.**

**TheAmazingPurpleNinja**

**xXx**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

**A/N The last chapter was quite long so I made this one shorter. Hey, I'm a writer, what can I say. Anyway, this chapter is up alot earlier than the last one was and hopefully it will stay that way with every chapter. Please Review!**

**TheAmazingPurpleNinja**

**xXx**

**Disclaimer- Again I say that I own nothing but the plot blah blah blah you're a bit stupid if you didn't already know that blah blah blah do I really have to do this every chapter?**

"I need some fresh air. I'll be back soon." I said, leaving and closing the door behind me. I walked to the back off the train again and walked through the prefect carriage, to the balcony at the end of the train. There was no one out here except, a seventh year couple who seemed to be having an argument but once they saw me they left. I sighed and walked to the railing. I leaned my elbows on it and looked out to the woods. It was starting to get dark, we should be there soon. Thank Merlin. How my friends could have been in the same carriage as me and I didn't even notice I had no idea. I have to find Cormac. But what if he didn't know anything? Or maybe I just dreamt it all or banged my head or something. It seems more likely than I'm going mad or something weird is going on. Wait a minute. I go to school at Hogwarts! Nothing is unlikely or weird in this life.

"Boo," a voice suddenly whispered in my ear. I screamed and jumped about a foot in the air. I turned around to find Cormac smiling. I gave him an accusing look.

"You scared me! I could've fallen off of the train." I said, crossing my arms in front of me which was actually quite hard considering the tiny amount of space between us. He chuckled.

"First of all, there is a waist high railing that would stop you from falling, and secondly, even if you were going to fall I would've caught you." He said in his beautiful voice._ Damn it girl! Get it together._

"Okay fine, but you still scared me." I said. He smiled crookedly.

"Yes, that was the whole point. Anyway I saw you out here alone and I couldn't help wondering if you do actually have friends or whether you were making it all up." He explained. I frowned.

"For your information, I have plenty of friends. Speaking of which, when you saw yours, were they acting strange at all?" I asked, smoothly. He frowned.

"Actually, I couldn't find them. Why, what's up?" he asked. I sighed and looked down to the ground.

"I think I'm going crazy. I found my friends. In the carriage we were in. I thought they had just got back but they said they had been there the whole time." I said, feeling stupid. I felt his hand on my chin and he tilted my head up, making me look into his eyes.

"That can't be right. Maybe you were in the wrong carriage and they were next door or something?" he offered. I shook my head, making him release his grip on my chin. I tried to step out of the confined space, between him and the rail, but he put his hand on the railing. Trapping me. I looked up at him.

"I'm not wrong. It was the same carriage. I'm sure of it. It had the same stain on the carpet and everything." I explained. He stepped even closer to me, pushing me back against the railing. He looked into my eyes.

"Well, if you're sure. Maybe someone's playing a trick on you or something." He said softly, stroking my cheek with the back of his hand. His face was getting closer and I swear I actually stopped breathing. His lips were about a centre metre away from mine when he suddenly stepped back, grabbing my hand and turned to run inside, dragging me behind him. He slammed the door shut behind us. I turned to him with a frown on my face.

"What did you do that for?" I asked. He just stared out of the door window, looking into the woods, almost like he was searching for something. I tugged on his hand.

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked tentively. He sighed and turned to me, with a frown on his face.

"I have to go," he said, and then he stepped around me and walked off down the aisle. I just stood there, watching him walk away with a frown. What was that all about? I sighed and started walking slowly down the aisle, back to the others.

_A/N Okay another long wait, I'm really sorry. I haven't had a lot of free time recently. I hoped you liked it. I definitely loved writing it. Please review, even if it's a flame, I really want to know your opinion!_

_TheAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xXx_


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

_A/N I think this is the quickest update yet :) I hope you enjoy it! Please. Please. PLEASE review._

_TheAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xXx_

_Disclaimer - I only own the plot._

I walked back to the compartment in a haze of confusion. What just happened? I pulled open the compartment door to see six faces smiling up at me.

"Hey," I said.

"So, um, are you … okay now?" Ginny asked. I put on a false smile and nodded. I was most definitely not okay. Luna moved up a bit so I could sit next to her.

"It's okay Hermione, people think I'm crazy too," Luna whispered to me. I looked at her and smiled. I felt rather sorry for her, if this is what she has to deal with every day. I gave her a small hug and felt the train slow down and eventually come to a stop.

"I take it we're here then," Ron said. I nodded then grabbed my bag from the overhead holder and we headed out of the compartment, towards the nearest door. I stepped off last and followed the others to the carriages. I looked around, trying to see…. Oh, god. No I wasn't looking for a certain gorgeous prefect. I refused to believe it. We reached the carriages and the others got on. As Luna sat down, however, I realised that there was no more space. By the look on the others faces, they had realised it as well.

"Oh, take my seat, Hermione. I can get the next one." Luna said politely. I smiled at her grateful for her offer.

"No, don't be silly. I'll just get the next one. I'll see you lot at the great hall." I said. The carriage started moving and I waved to them as they left. I saw Ginny give me an apologetic smile before they turned the corner out of sight behind the towering trees. I sighed and turned around. The next carriage was currently empty and I climbed on quickly. I set my bag on the floor by my feet and sat back.

"Yet again, I find you friendless." A voice said. I whipped my head around to see Cormac standing on the floor, near the door. He gestured to the carriage.

"Mind if I catch a ride with you?" He asked politely. I shook my head. He jumped on and sat opposite me, putting his bag on the floor.

"So, either you were lying to me about having friends or they're invisible," he said, crossing his arms and leaning back. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"First of all, I do not lie unnecessarily. Secondly, we may live in a magical world but it would be rather strange to go around invisible all the time. Don't you think?" I asked him. I could see he was fighting a smile.

"That may be true, but you're not exactly normal yourself," he replied. I rolled my eyes and smiled.

"So I've been told," I said. He smirked as the carriage started moving.

"That still doesn't explain why you have been friendless every time we've seen each other today," he said. I smiled evily.

"Well, that's not technically true is it? I was with Ron in the prefect meeting," I said. My smile vanished as Cormac got a twinkle in his eye.

"Ah yes, the prefect meeting. So many fond memories." He said almost cryptically. I blushed. That was the last time I was ever going to bring up the prefect meeting in anyway or form. Damn him, he had distracted me.

"I do believe you are changing the subject," I said smirking. He rolled his eyes.

"Okay fine, I've seen one friend with you. Once. Throughout the whole day." He said. I sighed.

"You just pick the wrong moments, is all." I mumbled.

"So, if you do have friends, why aren't they with you now?" Cormac asked. I glared at him.

"Not that it's any of your business, but they got on the carriage and there wasn't any more room so I got on this one." I explained. He frowned.

"I've angered you. I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention." He said, leaning forward. I sighed.

"No, it's me, I'm just nervous about going back, it feels like something has changed." I explained for the first time out loud. I bit my lip. Why was I telling him these things?

"I feel something has changed as well. I think it's because Umbridge stirred thing up quite a lot and some of it stuck with all of us." Cormac said. I frowned in thought. He could be right.

"It's possible," I said as the tall iron gates came into view. I sighed.

"We're almost there." I pointed out. I looked at him and he nodded. As we got closer to the gate, the grand, familiar castle came into view. Home.

_A/N I hope you enjoyed it :) I didn't make it too long as I thought it might get a bit tedious, if it isn't already ._

_Thanks to everyone who added my story to alert and to everyone that reviewed._

_**arabellagrace**__ – I'm glad you're enjoying the story, I just hope it doesn't get too boring or confusing :)_

_**crazycasey98**__ – I do have some free time but there's a little thing called homework I unfortunately have to do. This is something I do for fun, it's not a main priority but I do try to make it one. A flame is a level down from a hate review. It gives harsh criticism; I think that's the easiest way to explain it. I'm glad you love it and I hope that love doesn't vanish as the story continues. You'll have to read on to find out about the "friend ting" ;) I'm trying to make Cormac a good guy here so please keep an open mind about him :)_

_Please review!_

_TheAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xXx_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_A/N I'm trying to update this regularly but I think I'm kinda failing :L Ah well I'll keep trying. School ends next week so I can write more :D Anyway on with the story, I hope you like it and please review!_

_TheAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xXx_

_Disclaimer: I love J.K Rowling and I would NEVER do anything to hurt her such as steal her characters . Everything is hers but the plot and a few made up characters._

We climbed out of the carriage and walked through the beautiful, intricate iron gates that were more than three times the size of me. We walked up to the castle in a comfortable silence. When we reached the grand doors I pushed one open and walked inside. There were a couple of people standing around talking to ghosts but mostly the entrance hall was deserted. I walked towards the grand staircase, followed by Cormac, and stopped to take in the view.

"I've really missed this place," I said gazing around.

"Yeah, me too, I can't believe we only have two years left here," Cormac said. I nodded absently and started climbing the many stairs up to Gryffindor common room. We managed to get there without any trouble and I muttered the password when we reached the fat lady.

"Welcome back, my dear," she said, smiling sweetly, as she swung open to let us in. I stepped inside, closely followed by Cormac and stood in the homely common room. I sighed in contentment and noticed that most people must be in the great hall already.

"Feels good to be back," Cormac said. I nodded.

"Yes, it does," I said.

"We'd better get changed," Cormac said.

"Yeah, I expect they'll be starting soon," I said, before heading for the girls dormitories. Cormac followed me up the stairs and when I turned toward him as I got to my door I almost pushed him down the stairs because he was so close.

"Sorry," I muttered. Cormac smiled.

"No worries, see you later," he said and then he headed off up the stairs to his room. I smiled and went into my own room. No one was in there; they must all have gone already. I walked over to my bed and dumped my bag on it. Then I opened my trunk and got out my school robes which I had purposely packed at the top. I laid it on my bed and tied my hair up into a loose bun. I went into the bathroom and washed my face, which was refreshing after the long journey. Then I got changed and let my hair back down. I put my stuff away and walked back to the door. I pulled it open and crashed into someone. I was sent flying backwards, onto the floor, where I hit my head.

"Watch where you're going!" Lavender Brown exclaimed, before continuing down the stairs. I groaned and pushed myself up onto my elbows.

"Honestly, some people are so inconsiderate," a voice said from the doorway. I looked up and saw Cormac frowning and holding his hand out to me. I took it and jumped up.

"Thanks," I said, straightening my robes.

"Are you hurt?" Cormac asked softly. I looked up at him and smiled.

"I'm fine," I said.

"Good, because even though I don't believe in hitting girls, I have a few female acquaintances that wouldn't mind doing it for me, but if you're not hurt I guess I can settle for a glare." Cormac said. I giggled; the thought of Lavender begging for mercy was quite appealing.

"Fair enough," I said. Cormac looked at his watch.

"Hmmm, I think we should start making a move. After you my lady," he said, before bowing and gesturing towards the bottom of the stairs while smiling cheekily up at me. I giggled girlishly which, believe me, doesn't happen that often.

"Why, thank you kind sir," I said before starting down the stairs. I got to the bottom and saw that the common room was deserted. I stepped to the side to let Cormac through.

"Yeah, I think we might be kind of late," I said, biting my lip.

"Well, I guess we had better hurry up then," Cormac said before holding his arm out to me.

"Would you do me the honour of escorting me to dinner, my lady?" Cormac asked in an overly posh voice. I laughed.

"It would be my pleasure," I said, linking arms with him. We walked out of the common room, laughing our heads off. We practically ran down the stairs, still linked and still laughing, and we made it as far as the bottom before we had to stop and lean against the wall to catch our breath. When we had calmed down we straightened our robes and walked round the corner. Thankfully the doors were still open so they hadn't started yet, although most people were already there so our entrance was noticed by many people. We walked down the length of the Gryffindor table, settling the buzz of conversation that had filled the great hall and we sat down with our separate friends. Just as the silence was getting unbearable Professor McGonagall walked in followed by the first years and the sorting started. I tried to listen to the different names and cheer as we gained new house mates but I couldn't help but notice the stares I was getting from people…

_A/N There we go, another chapter finished. Please let me know what you think, I really want to know._

_**crazycasey98- **__Yes he is always friendless but Hermione is a bit too preoccupied to notice that. Yes, he can be cryptic but that's something that I love about him and not something that's necessarily a bad thing. Mystery can be good you know. Maybe I do sound formal, but if I do it's because I'm still in Hermione mode, you silly :P_

_**Please review!**_

_Danielle xoxo_

_xXx_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_A/N Okie Dokie, heres the next chapter, I hope you like it. Please review, your feedback is wanted :)_

_TheAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xXx_

_Disclaimer: I ONLY OWN THE PLOT AND A FEW CHARACTERS :D_

The sorting and announcements went by rather quickly and for the first time Dumbledore's speech seemed to go in one ear and fly out of the other. I kept stealing glances at Cormac and almost every time he returned the secret glance with a smile and a wink. Which I smiled at, without fail. When the food appeared I realised I was actually quite hungry so I ate my dinner in silence, occasionally smiling at my friends. I finished just in time for desert but found that I was completely full up.

"Hermione, are you not going to have anything?" Ginny asked me, when she noticed I wasn't getting anything. I smiled and shook my head.

"No I think dinner satisfied me enough for tonight. Actually I might go for a walk, I'll see you all back at the common room." I said before standing and walking out of the great hall. Just before I turned the corner I looked back to where Cormac was sitting to see him looking at me with a confused expression. I smiled and winked at him before walking away, towards the grand staircase. I walked all the way up to the seventh floor and made my way through the winding corridors until I found my destination. The room of requirements. I paced back and forth in front of it, thinking of my special place, until the impressive iron doors appeared. I smiled and went inside. Shutting the door behind me, I turned around to look at my favourite room in the whole castle, other than the library obviously. I sighed in contentment. It looked just as I remembered it; the walls were covered in bookshelves, full of books sitting there and waiting for me to read them. There was a roaring fire ready in a magnificent fireplace, that had a large coffee table in front of it, which had comfortable armchairs and settee's surrounding it. There was also a small table on the other side of the room, which held a kettle, two cups, a selection of sugar, tea, coffee, milk and hot chocolate powder. I was in heaven.

"Play music," I said clearly and loudly. The room started playing soft music which I vaguely recognised as a magical band. I didn't really know them as I only really listened to muggle music but they sounded rather good. I walked over to the table and swiftly made myself a cup of tea then took it over to the biggest sofa and sat down. I took a deep breath and started to think things over. Firstly I need to sort out this whole Cormac ordeal. I really didn't know what was going on between us and I was thoroughly confused. Plus I still had no idea what happened on the train. Then there was the whole thing when Cormac was being weird when he pulled me inside the train, just before we arrived at hogsmeade. I just think he's a generally confusing person. I sighed and drank my tea. Do I like Cormac? Well yeah, I like him but only as a friend…right? Oh Merlin. I decided not to think about that for now.

Tomorrow is the first day of school. I do hope it's not too hectic. We have that new potions professor as well. What was is Harry had said? Oh yes, Professor Slughorn. By the sound of it he seemed rather strange. I'm sure he'll be lovely. I also have the prefect schedule to think about. OH MERLIN! I left my badge in my jacket pocket! How in the world did I forget about that? First I forgot about the prefect meeting then I forgot to take my badge out of my jacket and actually wear it. What's going on? Wait a minute. Was Cormac wearing his? I honestly can't remember. I looked at my watch and saw it was nearly curfew. Darn it. I can't be seen up after curfew. If I had my badge I would be allowed but since I left it… Ugh. I sighed and placed my cup on the coffee table before getting up and walking towards the door. I gave the room one last wistful look before leaving and heading towards to grand staircase. I made my way up to the Gryffindor common room and mumbled the password to the fat lady. She opened the portrait for me and I walked in. The common room was surprisingly almost empty. There were only two third years playing chess by the window and someone sitting in the armchair by the fire. I couldn't see who it was from here so I let it go and walked towards the stairs.

"Granger," a voice said. I stopped in my tracks and spun around to see Lavender glaring up at me from the armchair. I groaned. I just wanted to go to bed.

_A/N There we go another chapter done. Sorry if this one was a bit boring but it was a filler that needed to be done. I also realise that there was basically no interaction between Hermione and Cormac in this chapter but to make up for it I'm going to devote the next chapter to mostly them being together. I'm sorry if I took long to update but I've been thinking of starting another story, running with this one. If you have any pairing requests then please let me know :) I hope you're enjoying the story, please review!_

_**crazycasey98**__ – I'm glad you liked the funny side of Cormac, hopefully you'll drift away from the whole Eric idea of him. I will show more of that side in following chapters but I just needed to get this chapter done. I love you too :)_

_PLEASE REVIEW PEOPLE!_

_TheAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xXx_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_A/N Another chapter! Hope you like it :) PLEASE REVIEW!_

_Disclaimer: I ONLY OWN THE PLOT AND A FEW CHARACTERS :D_

"What is it, Brown?" I asked, tiredly. She glared at me and stood up.

"I want to talk to you!" she said in her annoying voice. I sighed.

"What could you possibly want to talk to ME about?" I asked, getting frustrated.

"Hmm let's see, who have you been flirting with and drooling over since we got on that train? Who do you KNOW I have been after for ages?! WHO IS THE MOST GORGEOUS MALE ON THIS PLANET?!" she literally screamed at me. I had a hunch about who she was talking about but I really felt the need to wind her up even more.

"I honestly have no idea who you are talking about, Brown." I said calmly, crossing my arms. If this was a cartoon, Lavender would have steam shooting out of her ears. I hid my smirk.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT?! OMG, YOU ARE THE MOST SELFISH PERSON I HAVE EVER MET!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. I raised my eyebrows.

"I'm selfish? Maybe you should look in the mirror before accusing others of such nonsense. You absolute, utter hypocrite." I said, staying calm and stepping forward. She looked like she was about to explode.

"HERMIONE GRANGER, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT A HYPOCRITE IS BUT I'M PRETTY SURE I AM NOT ONE OF THEM! YOU IDIOT!" she exclaimed. I sighed.

"There you go again. Calling me an idiot when you don't even know what a hypocrite is. You don't look so good, Brown, maybe you should go and have a lie down." I suggested. She screamed in frustration but stayed silent for a while, appearing to calm down a little.

"I am not going anywhere until we talk about Cormac." She said plainly. I frowned in pretend confusion and tilted my head a little.

"Cormac, what about Cormac? Cormac McGlaggen?" I asked innocently. Lavender frowned intensely.

"Don't play dumb, Granger. You know exactly who and what I'm talking about!" she exclaimed, getting angry again. I sighed.

"Yes, I guess I do." I said.

"I KNEW IT! So what are you going to do about it?" Lavender asked. I frowned.

"Do about what?" I asked, genuinely confused. Lavender rolled her eyes.

"Cormac. Hanging out with him and trying to steal him from me!" she said. I raised an eyebrow.

"Brown, I'm not trying to steal Cormac from anybody, besides, you're not even going out." I said. Lavender gasped and put a hand to her heart dramatically.

"Maybe not but he's mine!" she said. I sighed; I was getting frustrated again now.

"Lavender Brown. Cormac McGlaggen is, I can't believe I am saying this, a genuinely nice guy and if I want to hang out with him then I will. Not to steal him from anyone but to be his friend and have the pleasure of his company. I have just lost the little respect I had for you, now that you're being jealous, insecure and protective of someone that I have never even seen you talk to before. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to bed." I said leaving her speechless and turning around, before running up the stairs. I almost got to my door before I bumped into someone quite hard but not hard enough for either of us to fall. I gasped and looked up to see Cormac smiling up at me.

"Genuinely nice guy? That's an improvement I guess." He whispered. I gasped and hit his shoulder playfully.

"You were eavesdropping on me!" I exclaimed, hiding my smile and losing my balance slightly. He chuckled and grabbed my arms to keep me steady.

"I honestly didn't mean to. I swear. I had just gone up when I realised I had forgotten my book so I came back down and I heard Lavender screaming so I decided to wait here until she had stopped, then I heard your voice. I didn't mean to listen in." he explained. I checked his face for a hint of a lie but I couldn't find one. I sighed and nodded.

"Okay," I said. He smiled.

"Loved the exit though, very dramatic." He said. I laughed and he joined in.

"Okay, well I need to get my book, so I'll leave you to go to bed. See you in the morning pretty lady." He said. He took my hand and kissed it softly before letting it go and continuing down the winding stairs. I smiled and went into my room dreamily. Everyone was asleep so I walked over to my bed and grabbed a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a tank top, before going into the bathroom and shutting the door behind me. I washed my face and cleaned my teeth, not really thinking about what I was doing, before getting changed and dumping my clothes in the wash basket. I tip toed back into my room and crawled into bed, falling into a blissful sleep as soon as I closed my eyes.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The soft morning light poured through the window and onto my face. I smiled and sighed. I was about to open my eyes when someone grabbed onto my arm and shook it almost violently. I groaned and snapped my eyes open. It was Ginny. I giggled, which she frowned at.

"What's wrong with you? You never like me waking you up in the morning," she said with wide eyes.

"Well technically, you didn't wake me up and I'm in a good mood so not even your annoying methods of waking me can put me down." I explained before swinging the duvet off of me and jumping up. I quickly checked the clock on my bedside table, to confirm that I had enough time for a shower, before skipping off into the bathroom, whistling and leaving a room of bemused faces behind me. I giggled and grabbed a towel off the rack before going into one of the cubicles and switching on the warm water. As I washed my hair I decided that I wasn't going to let anyone or anything take me out of this good mood, which hopefully will help this be a wonderful day. When I had finished, I reluctantly switched off the water and wrapped the soft towel around me, stepping out and then realising I hadn't brought my clothes in. I laughed despite myself and shrugged it off. I walked back into the dormitory. There was only Ginny and Padma left in there, so I smiled at them and got my clothes before returning to the bathroom and getting dressed. I grabbed my brush and pulled it through my hair, when there was no longer any knots I charmed it dry and realised I was having a major frizz day so I pulled it back into a high pony tail, leaving a few wisps of hair down. I didn't want to use the de-frizz spell as I had used it yesterday and the day before and I didn't want to ruin my hair. I looked at myself in the reflection and decided to apply a small amount of lip gloss, which I hardly ever wear. I took one last look in the full length mirror and straightened my uniform. I sighed happily then walked back out of the bathroom. No one was left so I grabbed my pre-packed bag, charmed it smaller and put it in my pocket before walking out and closing the door behind me. I skipped down the stairs whilst humming a completely random yet happy tune. I jumped down the last step and looked up to see who was left in the common room. There were a few second years who appeared to be waiting for someone but the person who drew my attention was Cormac, who was leaning against the wall by the door. He smiled at me and beckoned me over. I smiled back and practically ran over there. He chuckled.

"Someone's in a good mood today," he commented. I giggled.

"I certainly am, now what might you be doing here, loitering in the doorway?" I asked smiling. He smirked.

"Actually I was waiting for you, so that I could ask if you wanted to sit with me for breakfast, since we have our first class together," he said handing me a piece of paper. I frowned and looked at it, realising it was my schedule.

"Care to explain how you got your sneaky mitts on my schedule?" I asked only half serious. He smirked again.

"They were all on the table over there; I was looking for mine when I came across yours, so I thought I'd take it and save you the trouble of having to find it." He explained.

"Well then, thank you" I said, smiling. I looked down and saw we had defence against the dark arts first period. I groaned.

"What?" Cormac asked. I looked up at him.

"We have Snape first thing in the morning, that can't end well." I explained. He laughed.

"Well, unless you want to be late and make it even worse then I suggest we go to breakfast," he said. I nodded.

"Okay, sounds good." I said. I tucked my schedule into my robe pocket and waited for him to step out.

"Ladies first," he said. I giggled and stepped out, with him closely following me. We walked down to the great hall talking about our families.

"So, they actually put their hands in other people's mouths?" Cormac asked as we walked through the grand double doors. I laughed, there wasn't such a thing as dentists in the magic world so most people were thoroughly confused about my parent's occupation. I nodded.

"Yep, my father got bitten once," I said. Cormac's eyes widened at that.

"Wow, he must be brave, it sounds like a dangerous profession." He said. I laughed rather loudly.

"Yeah, not so much, my father runs away from spiders, my mother has to deal with them," I said, still shaking with laughter. He smiled at my father's lack of courage.

"Fair enough, I guess everyone has their fears," he said. I smiled, most people made fun of the fact that my father is a scaredy-cat. I hadn't realised that whilst we were talking we had made it all the way up to where his friends and his-self usually sit. There were two boys sitting next to each other on the opposite side of the table from us, talking animatedly. Cormac cleared his throat and the two boys looked up at us.

"Mike, Eric, this is Hermione. Hermione, this is Mike and Eric." He introduced us to each other. I smiled at the two boys and they smiled back.

"We know who she is, it's nice to meet you Hermione," Mike said, standing up and holding his hand out to me. I took it and smiled. He had pitch black hair that hung just below his ears and piercing black eyes that looked like they would break a few girls' hearts. He had a friendly face though which put the edge off of the sharp eyes.

"You too, I'm sure," I said. Cormac sat down and patted the seat next to him, hinting for me to sit down.

"So have you all got Snape first as well?" I asked, making small talk.

"Yeah, unfortunately we do. It can't be a good thing; having him first thing in the morning." Eric said. I smiled. He also had a friendly face but he was the complete opposite of Mike. He had scruffy blonde hair and dazzling bright blue eyes. They also looked like they would break a few hearts.

"That's what I said earlier," I said. Eric looked up at me and smiled. Cormac reached for a slice of toast, which reminded me that I was supposed to eat something. I took a piece of toast as well and buttered it before taking a dainty bite. We ate breakfast whilst talking about teachers and who we liked and who we disliked. We finished up and walked out together. I was so wrapped up in what Eric was saying to me that I didn't notice all my friends giving me disbelieving looks as we walked past.

"What about you Hermione? What do you think about Filch?" Mike asked me as we made our way to DADA. I gave him a look and he laughed.

"I think he's grumpy and over strict and he has something against anyone under the age of 20." I explained. They all laughed.

"Well said, Hermione." Eric said. I looked over to Cormac and he winked at me, which I returned with a smile. We reached the classroom and went inside. There were only a couple of people there already. They went and sat together near the back but I stayed standing at the door uncertain of what to do. Cormac sat down then turned and realised I hadn't followed.

"It's okay, you don't have to sit with us if you don't want to," he said to me sincerely. I pursed my lips.

"I'm sure my friends will understand," I said. He smiled and I walked over sitting down and taking my things out. They would understand…right?

_A/N There we go. It was longer than all of my others and I tried to make it more interesting than the chapters before. Quite a lot happened in this chapter, please let me know what you think!_

_**Crazycasey98- **__Lol I'm glad you didn't think it was boring and I did try to incorporate more of funny Cormac in this chapter but I will definitely put lots of funny Cormac in the next one. I love you more :P_

_Thanks to everyone who added my story to alert or favourite, it's really appreciated :)_

_TheAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xXx_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_A/N I've been on holiday for two weeks, which is why I haven't updated but imam make up for it by uploading every other day for the next four chapters. I hope you like this one :) PLEASE REVIEW!_

_Disclaimer: I only own the plot and a few characters._

The class started to slowly fill and I saw my friends walk through the door. I smiled and waved at them but they didn't see me, they walked to the front of the classroom and sat down together. I frowned; they must have seen me as I was basically next to the door. I felt Cormac's gaze turn to me.

"You can sit with them If you want to, you know." He whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. I looked at him and gave him a (what I hoped to be) reassuring smile.

"No, I'm happy here, thanks … um, unless you want me to leave." I added, looking down at my hands, which were folded on the desk. I felt his hand cup my cheek and pull my head towards him, so I was looking into his eyes. He kept eye contact as he spoke.

"I don't want you to leave, I promise." He said sincerely. I smiled and blushed. He smirked and gently took his hand away. Just as he did, Snape walked in with his robes billowing dramatically behind him. I sighed quietly and looked at Cormac. He winked at me and started writing on a piece of ripped parchment. I frowned. Were we supposed to write something? Snape hadn't even gotten to his desk yet. My confusion soon disappeared when Cormac slid the piece of parchment over to me. I bit my lip to stop myself from giggling as I read what he wrote. I swiftly wrote a reply.

_He looks like a bat. – Cormac_

_Ha, do you mean his robes or his facial features? – Hermione_

_Ah, I was talking about his melodramatic robes but now that you've pointed it out, his facial features do look incredibly like a bat, an ugly bat at that! Perhaps we should make a nickname for him..? – Cormac_

_Ha, good idea. Any suggestions? – Hermione_

_Batty boy – Cormac_

_Ha ha ha, I would say yes but unfortunately it has another meaning and people could get offended. – Hermione_

_Aha okay. Have you got any ideas? – Cormac_

_Um, no, not really. – Hermione_

_Well, in that case, let's think about it while he sets our homework and report back later. – Cormac_

_Okie dokie :) – Hermione_

Our conversation ended and we listened to Snape tell us what we had to do. I soon realised that he wanted us to do it in pairs.

"Be my DADA buddy?" Cormac asked me when class ended and we were putting our things away. I hooked a loose tendril of hair behind my ear and looked up at him.

"Yeah, alright." I said smiling, before continuing to put my stuff away. We left the classroom together and I got my schedule out.

"Uh, I have Care Of Magical Creatures next," I told Cormac. Erik and Mike, who had appeared out of nowhere, groaned.

"We have double potions! Please say you're with us Cormac!" Erik exclaimed. Cormac shook his head and I could see he was restraining from laughing.

"I got Care Of Magical Creatures as well," he said. Erik and Mike groaned again.

"Fine, catch you later. It was nice to finally meet you Hermione." Mike said.

"Ditto," Erik said before they turned and walked down the corridor. We started walking the other way.

"So, what do you think of Erik and Mike?" Cormac asked me. I smiled.

"They're, um, how should I put this? Interesting." I replied. Cormac laughed.

"In a good way or a bad way?" he asked.

"Good. Definitely good!" I said and we both laughed. Overall, it was a good start to the day.

_A/N PLEASE REVIEW!_

_**crazycasey98**__- Ha he does indeed have friends. I happen to like the name Eric and you shouldn't judge the name by fictional characters who happen to be called that name. You say you don't love Joshy at all so that's not saying much but I love you more than… my keyboard :)_

_TheAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xXx_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_A/N told ya I would update :) Please review._

_Disclaimer: I only own the plot and a few characters._

We walked to Hagrid's class in mostly a comfortable silence.

"So, did you think of any names for Snape yet?" I asked Cormac as we walked out of the castle. Cormac frowned and shook his head.

"No, I don't think so, nothing good anyway. Have you?" he replied. I shook my head.

"Nothing good either. Just random bat including words." I said. He pursed his lips in thought as we started down the steep hill.

"I think we should keep it simple," he said. I nodded.

"Yeah, simple but catchy." I added.

"Okay then, let's think about it some more and then hopefully we'll have some suggestions. I actually like this class so therefore want to pay attention. Although, I have a hard time concentrating on anything when I'm around you, so maybe it won't make a difference." He said, looking into my eyes. I blushed and looked down as we reached the hut. Hagrid was standing outside, with a few students surrounding him.

"Hermione! Good to see ya! How was yer summer?" Hagrid boomed.

"It's good to see you too, Hagrid! My summer was wonderful, thank you. How was yours?" I asked smiling.

"Oh, ya know, very quiet with you lot gone an' all. Had quite a lot to do, so I kept meself busy. I missed ya though." He said. I smiled.

"I missed you too, Hagrid." I said. His gaze swept over to Cormac.

"Where's Harry an' Ron?" he asked, confused.

"Um, I'm sure they'll be along soon. You know Cormac McGlaggen, don't you?" I asked. He smiled.

"Well of course I do! Had him last year, din I. One of me best students." Hagrid beamed.

"To be a best student you need a best teacher, Hagrid." Cormac said smiling.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Hagrid mumbled. I thought I could see a bit of red hiding under his scraggly beard. Cormac laughed.

"You're just being modest!" he said.

"Oh, look! Here's Harry an' Ron." Hagrid said, changing the subject. I smiled and shook my head. Hagrid went over to Harry and Ron, who were the last to arrive. I turned to Cormac.

"That was nice of you. Hagrid has been kind of insecure about teaching since the incident with buckbeack in third year." I said. He smiled.

"I know. Besides, it was true. He's one of my favourite teachers and I don't like many of them." He said. I laughed.

"Okay, listen up! Today we're gunna learn how to look after an' deal with enchanted tree's. Now, I'm sure ya all know the whomping willow; our very own enchanted tree." Hagrid said. There were murmurs of agreement.

"Good, today we're going to pay it a visit, but don' worry, we're gunna stay outta range of its branches. We'll be safe." Hagrid explained. He started walking towards the whomping willow, gesturing for us to follow. As we started walking I remembered my past encounters with the infamous and annoying tree. Mainly the ones in third year. I shuddered. I trusted Hagrid but I was starting to feel a bit worried about going anyway near that menacing tree…

_A/N There we go, it wasn't very long but the next chapter will be up in two days, maybe one if I feel like it. If anyone has any suggestions for Snape nick names then PM me and I'll try to include them in the story. Please review :) _

_**crazycasey98- **__BRADLY COOPER? I feel honoured :) I'm glad you like the chapter. I did try to put funny and sweet Cormac all together like one big happy family :D_

_TeAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xXx_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_A/N Sorry, I know I said I would update sooner but I've been busy . Here it is :) Please review! _

_Disclaimer: I only own the plot and a few characters._

After a tedious five minute walk, we finally arrived at the towering tree, which was currently swaying softly in the breeze. At the current moment it didn't look troublesome or dangerous, it looked peaceful and charming. What a lie. As we got closer I realised there was a white line circling around the tree. That must be marking its branches range. I planned on staying well behind that line. Hagrid came to a stop and, concentrating on my thought's I didn't realise, I crashed into Cormac's back. I gasped.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," I whispered as he turned around and gave me an amused smile.

"Hermione Granger not paying attention. That's got to be a first." He said, chuckling, which earned him a light smack on the arm. I realised that everyone had clustered behind Hagrid, using him as protection from the tree; as if Hagrid would stop its strong branches from knocking them off of their feet. I laughed and earned a few strange glances from people around me. Deciding to be brave I escaped from the huddle and stood to the side, in plain view of the tree. Hagrid looked at me and smiled.

"That's right, spread out. Yer all need a good view of her." He said. I rolled my eyes, of course it was a her. The class did spread out a little but still stayed in a slight huddle. I sighed and made my way to the front, standing just beyond the white line.

"That's it. Stay behind the white line, as long as yer stay behind it, the tree can't reach yer. I'd go a bit further back, if I were you Hermione." Hagrid said. I shrugged.

"I'm okay where I am." I said. Hagrid smiled and turned toward the whomping willow as Cormac came up and stood beside me. As Hagrid started talking, my gaze drifted over to Lavender, who was stood to my left, staring up at the tree in wonder. Subconsciously, she was walking slowly towards it. Everything went into slow motion. I saw the biggest branch start to swing towards her.

"Lavender!" I shouted, but she didn't hear me so I leaped forward and pushed her back behind the line; also putting myself in the path of the branch. I gasped and braced myself for the impact. Just as the branch was about to hit me, Cormac came out of nowhere and pushed me hard. Making us fall and end up lying on the ground. The branch went over our body's but another smaller yet still strong branch was already coming at us from above. I pushed Cormac over and rolled over myself so it landed in between us. I scrambled to my knees, looking around anxiously for the next branch to attack. I managed to pull Cormac to his knees when suddenly a small branch whipped towards us with the speed of a nimbus 2000. I screamed and pushed Cormac towards the white line but it was too late to save myself. The branch hit my stomach, sending my flying backwards and making my legs bend at an impossible angle. I hit the ground and the last thing I heard before blacking out was Lavender's annoying high pitched scream.

_A/N Sorry this one was really short . I swear I'll update tomorrow though :) Please review!_

_**Crazycasey98- **__You get excited and hyper, not judgemental!? Awesome! I've completed my mission :) Love you too xx_

_TheAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xXx_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_A/N Another chapter up and running, I hope you like it. Please review :)_

_Disclaimer: I only own the plot and a few characters._

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. I groaned at the annoying sound that dared wake me up. I was having the loveliest dream, about chirping birds and green grassy hills. I just wanted to go back to that blissful world.

"Hermione?" I snapped out of my dream world and realization slapped me in the face as I opened my eyes. The first thing I noticed was the pain. Pain that was so engulfing I almost blacked out again. I bit my lip to stop from screaming. I couldn't yet figure out where the pain was coming from as it seems to be swallowing me whole.

"Hermione?!" A worried voice made me turn my attention to the now standing Cormac. He looked tired and so concerned that I wanted to slap the person who made him feel this way. Then I realised that person was me. As I looked around, I realized I was lying on a bed in the hospital wing. The beeping sound, which had woken me up, had been the monitor that I was connected to. I frowned.

"What happened?" I asked Cormac, my voice croaky. He sighed in relief at hearing my voice. He sat back down in the chair next to my bed before taking hold of my hand.

"You got hit by the whomping willow, Hermione, after you pushed me out of the way. Why did you do it? You should have saved yourself." His voice got thick and I could see tears in his eyes. I gasped as the memories came flooding back. The impact of that dangerous branch. The flight backwards, through the air. The pain. Oh Merlin. The pain. I closed my eyes to push the memories away but they were stubborn and stayed. I took a shaky breath and remembered what Cormac had said.

"I couldn't let you get hurt." I said quietly. I heard Cormac let out a short breath.

"So like you. Always putting others before yourself. It will kill you one day, you know. I thought it did the other day…" He said also quietly. I gasped.

"The other day?! How long have I been unconscious?" I asked anxiously. Cormac sighed.

"49 and a half hours." He said, so quietly I wasn't sure if he had said it at all. I bit my lip. I had missed so much school work. I would have laughed despite myself but decided against it for fear that it would aggravate the pain.

"How…how bad is it?" I whispered. He squeezed my hand. Oh no.

"I, uh, it's probably best for madam pomfrey to tell you. Speaking of which, I had better let her know that you're awake." He said, starting to get up. I yanked his hand, which hurt me more than him.

"How. Bad." I said through gritted teeth. He sighed.

"You broke your ankle, your wrist, cracked three ribs, gained multiple bruises and cut your head." He said in one breath. I just stared at him. He frowned.

"Hermione? Don't worry, it will all heal." He said, squeezing my hand gently. I blinked.

"Hermione?! I need to get madam pomfrey but I'm not going to leave you like this. Hermione?" he said, almost shouting. He groaned. The he did the unexpected. He kissed me…

_A/N Please don't hate on me for another short chapter. I would be boring if I dragged it out. PLEASE REVIEW! :)_

_**arabellagrace- **__I hope it was worth waiting for :)_

_TheAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xXx_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_A/N Oh gosh. I am so sorry for the long wait. I went back to school two weeks ago and I don't seem to have any spare time anymore. I'm so so so sorry but I made time to write this chapter and the next one should be up soon. Please review!_

_Disclaimer: I only own the plot and a few characters._

The kiss was soft and sweet. It was over quickly. As he drew back he looked at me and smirked.

"I thought that might get your attention. I'm going to get Madam Pomfrey now, okay?" he said. I nodded and he walked away, around the privacy partition and out of sight. I stared at the place where he disappeared from sight. Cormac McGlaggen had just kissed me. I giggled hysterically. It was a good job no one was around otherwise they would have thought I was mad. I looked down to my body. Cormac had said I had broken my wrist. I was guessing that it was the left one as he had held my right hand earlier. He also said I had broken my ankle. I looked down towards my feet and saw a rather large lump where my cast was on my right ankle. What else had he said? Oh yes, three cracked ribs. I could tell from the slowly dimming pain that they were all near the bottom of my rib cage. It was where the branch had hit me. I sighed. Not a good idea. He had said there were bruises as well. I examined my arms. There was one on my left forearm and a couple of small ones on my right upper arm. I pulled the blanket to one side and grimaced at the horrid hospital gown. I moved the blanket away from my legs and saw I had multiple bruises all over them. I groaned. I made sure no one was coming before lifting my gown up. There were two great big bruises across my torso. I groaned again. I put my gown back down and covered myself with the blanket again. Then I laid my head back and closed my eyes. I didn't wait much longer before the sound of Cormac's approaching voice made me open my eyes. He rounded the partition with Madam Pomfrey following behind. She smiled at me.

"Hello, Hermione dear. I'm so glad to see you awake. How are you feeling?" She asked as she came to my side. Cormac sat back down in the chair.

"I have a bit of a headache and my injuries hurt but I think I'm okay otherwise." I replied. She nodded.

"They will hurt for a little while, I'm afraid but the pain should dim as your bones heal. Speaking of bones healing. You're going to have to take this potion three times a day, when you wake up, midday and before you go to bed. Take it for about a week and a half and you should be fully up and running." She explained, motioning to a bottle on the bedside table. I nodded and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. May I ask when I can leave?" I asked her. She smiled.

"I think if you carry on the way you are, you should be out of here tomorrow evening. Maybe tomorrow afternoon if you're lucky." She said. I smiled.

"Okay, that's great. Thank you again." I said. She laughed.

"My pleasure, Hermione. Now I have to talk to you about something, in private." She said, looking at Cormac. He nodded and stood up.

"You may wait in my office, Cormac." Madam Pomfrey said. He nodded again.

"Okay, thank you," He said before winking at me and walking away once again. Madam Pomfrey walked around the bed and sat in the chair that Cormac had been sitting on.

"Now, Hermione. I know I'm just a nurse and you probably don't think I know much about teenagers." I opened my mouth to protest but she held a hand up, silencing me. "But there are some things that need to be addressed and dealt with." She added. I was thoroughly confused, as I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Is this about what happened with the whomping willow?" I asked, frowning. She shook her head.

"No, although what you did was rather stupid-"I opened my mouth to talk again but she gave me a look and I closed it with a pop. "-yet brave. It's not what I want to talk to you about. What I want to talk to you about is, Mr McGlaggen." She said. My frown deepened.

"Cormac? What about him?" I asked. Oh god, I hope she wasn't going to give me the sex talk. I'd had more than enough of that from my mother.

"What is your relationship with him?" she asked. If it was someone else I would have told them to mind their own business but since it was Madam Pomfrey I didn't mind so much.

"We're friends." I said automatically. Then I thought of the kiss. Were we friends? I really didn't know. By the looks of things, Madam Pomfrey thought otherwise.

"Really? A friend who never left your side until ordered to. Even then only leaving for a short while?" She asked. My eyes widened.

"He…he did that?" I asked quietly. She nodded. I looked down to my blanket, surprised. "I didn't think-"

"That he would do that? Come on, Hermione. It's obvious he likes you and by the look on your face when he entered the room earlier, I would say you feel the same way." She said. I bit my lip. She was right. I liked him.

"Well, maybe a little…" I said. I looked at Madam Pomfrey and was surprised to see her beaming at me.

"That's wonderful! You've been through so much not to have someone to support you, Hermione." She said.

"I have you someone to support me, two people-"I said before Madam Pomfrey raised an eyebrow at me.

"I'm not talking about Harry and Ron, Hermione. Yes you are very close to them but you need more than that. You need someone who… someone who can fully support you. You need someone like Cormac." She said. I sighed then winced at the pain it caused.

"I know. It's okay Madam Pomfrey. I understand. Thank you for making me realise." I said. She smiled.

"Well, technically it's part of my job; looking out for the students health and well fare. I'll send Mr McGlaggen in." She said before standing and leaving. I smiled as she left and laid my head back before closing my eyes again. I drifted off to sleep unintentionally.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty." A voice whispered in my ear. I felt a hand stroke my cheek. I moaned softly and slowly opened my eyes. Cormac was sitting on the edge of my bed, with his hand supporting himself on the other side of my body. I smiled.

"Hello," I said. He smiled.

"Hello, what did Madam Pomfrey want?" he asked me quietly. I frowned in thought then remembered our conversation.

"She, um, just wanted to talk about what happened with the whomping willow," I lied. He frowned.

"She didn't give you a hard time did she? If she did, she shouldn't have because you practically saved Lavenders life…and mine." He said, getting angry. I shook my head.

"No, it was nothing like that. She just wanted to talk to me, see if I wanted to see a councillor and stuff like that." I lied. He nodded. Then his expression turned so serious I thought he was about to tell me his dog had passed away or something.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Hermione." He said softly, stroking my cheek again. I leaned into his touch.

"Nothing extremely bad would've happened to me. You know I'm too stubborn." I said, smirking, trying to lighten the mood. He smiled.

"Yeah, I know." He took his hand away.

"So, what have I missed?" I asked, attempting to sit up a bit more but failing. He saw my attempt and helped me. Then he moved the pillows so I was propped up. I smiled, silently thanking him as he sat back down.

"I don't really know. I've…I've been here most of the time." He admitted, looking down to the floor. It was then that I realised just how concerned he had been. I frowned. And put my hand to his cheek, gently tugging his face towards me.

"Thank you. For staying with me, even though I was unconscious. I'm sorry you had the opportunity to do that. You should know though, if it came down to me and someone else, even Lavender…I would choose the other person." I said. He sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I realise that. Lavender came to visit you a couple of times. I think she was as concerned as me." He said as I took my hand away from his face. I smiled.

"Lavender Brown concerned about someone other than herself? That's gotta be a first." I said. He laughed. Then a thought hit me.

"Has…has Ron or Harry come?" I asked. Cormac looked down to the floor again.

"I, uh, yeah. Yeah they did. Twice. The first time they came, they ignored me and put flowers in the vase. The second time…" he trailed off. I frowned.

"What happened?" I asked, fiercely.

"The second time they left as soon as they saw me." He muttered. I clenched my teeth.

"After everything I've been through with them, they didn't visit because you were here?" I said in a quiet voice.

"I think so." Cormac said.

"They call themselves friends…" I muttered. Then another thought hit me.

"What about the others? Ginny, Luna, Neville and Cho?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry." He said. Tears formed in my eyes but I blinked them away.

"That's fine; if they can't be bothered to visit me in hospital then I can't be bothered to be their friend." I said. Cormac took hold of my hand and squeezed it.

"Don't worry about it, Hermione. Now, I'm going to leave you to get some rest. I'll come back later, okay?" he asked. I nodded and he let go of my hand before leaving. I sighed and laid my head back, waiting for sleep to come.

_A/N There we go, I'm sorry again for the wait but I hope you enjoyed it. Please review, reviews make me write faster :)_

_**crazycasey98- **__Aye they did indeed finally kiss XD I'm glad you're supposedly in love with him but please remember that he is Hermione's :P_

_Danielle xoxo_

_xXx_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_A/ N Right first of all,__** I changed my pen name**__. Secondly, I'm so sorry for the long wait . I hope you enjoy it and please review :)_

_Disclaimer- I only own the plot and a few characters._

I woke up to the buzz of the monitor, which had thankfully stopped beeping after Madam Pomfrey decided I was fine without it. I looked around the room sleepily and realised it was quite dark. I must have slept through the rest of the day. I sat myself up as much as I could and laid my head back with a sigh. I heard soft footsteps approaching and Madam Pomfrey turned the corner of the privacy shield with a clipboard, which she was studying intently. She stopped at the end of my bed and finally looked up. Her serious expression turned to one of surprise.

"Oh, Hermione dear, you're awake! Good good, I just need to check your vitals and bandages." She said as she put the clipboard down and removed a small torch from her pocket before making her way over to me.

"Where is everyone? What time is it?" I asked as she shone the blue light into my right eye.

"I do believe I ordered Mr McGlaggen down for dinner. He wouldn't stay there to eat so he's bringing you both some food back. He should be here any minute now." She replied as she wrote something on the clipboard and proceeded to shine the light in my other eye.

"Oh okay." I said as she wrote something else on her clipboard.

"Now, Hermione. You may or may not have noticed that you now have a bandage around your stomach." She said. I hadn't noticed it but now that she had told me I could feel a rather tight piece of material wrapped around my midriff. I nodded.

"Well, I had to do that to keep the bones in place so they would fix easier. I also did it because you have a rather large cut on your lower right side, which I somehow missed when you were brought in. It's nothing serious but I thought it needed bandaging anyway. I'm going to check them in a moment but first, now that you're awake, you can change into your pyjamas that Miss Weasley brought down for you." She said gesturing to a pile of clothing on the bedside table. I frowned.

"Ginny was here?" I asked. Madam Pomfrey smiled and nodded. I smiled.

"Now, can you get changed on your own or would you like me to help you?" She asked me.

"I think I can manage it, thank you anyway." I replied. She smiled and nodded before leaving and drawing the curtain which I hadn't noticed before. I sighed and whipped the sheet off before sitting up a bit more and picking up my pyjama bottoms and awkwardly sliding them on. Then I shimmied the gross hospital gown off and put the pyjama top on. Thankfully Ginny had gotten my purple leopard print pyjamas and not my embarrassing pink cloud ones. I got myself comfortable again and covered myself with the sheet before folding the hospital gown up neatly and placing it where my pyjamas had been. Then I poured some water out from the jug on the bedside table and took a sip. Just as I put the glass down Madam Pomfrey called out.

"Are you done?" She asked.

"Yes," I replied. She pulled the curtain open again and walked in with a roll of bandage and some surgical tape. I silently prayed the surgical tape wasn't going on my skin anywhere.

"Right dear, let's get this cut looked at again." Madam Pomfrey said. I pushed the sheet down and pulled my top up so she could get to the bandage. I grimaced at the bruises then averted my eyes to the wide bandage that was wrapped around the lower part of my stomach, only just hiding my belly button from sight. Madam Pomfrey put a pair of plastic gloves on before helping me sit completely up right. It made me wonder how on earth she put it on without waking me up.

"Levitation," she said smiling as she started unwrapping the bandage. I laughed which unfortunately hurt a lot in this position so I stopped.

"Can't you just levitate me now?" I asked. She laughed.

"No, unfortunately it doesn't work that way. You have to be asleep or unconscious." She said. I nodded.

"That seems logical I guess." I said as she took the last of the bandage off.

"You can lay back for a minute, dear." She said. I laid myself back carefully and sighed in contentment as the pain decreased. I could feel where the cut was now and I wished I couldn't. She bent over and looked at it for about two minutes before standing up again.

"It looks okay but it's bleeding quite a lot. Not enough to be dangerous but enough to have to keep the bandage on. I'm rather concerned that it might get infected though, so I'm going to put this cream on it, which you're going to have to twice a day when you leave here. I'll explain it better when you actually leave." She explained before applying some extremely cold cream on the cut. It stung a little but it wasn't too bad. She helped me sit up again and I winced at the pain. She started wrapping it round again, thankfully her hands were warm. She got to the end and secured it with two pieces of surgical tape. I sighed in relief when she laid me back down. She checked that the bandage was tight enough and in the right place. As she did this Cormac circled the corner with two plates in his hand. I gasped. When he saw me he averted his eyes and I could see him fighting a smile. I yanked my top down and blushed. Thank Merlin I'd kept my bra on. Madam Pomfrey frowned and looked around. When she saw Cormac she laughed and removed her gloves.

"Sorry, I didn't know she was awake." He explained. I covered myself with the sheet again and sighed.

"Oh it's quite alright. I was finished anyway. I'll leave you two to eat. I'll be back soon to check on you." She said smiling. I smiled and nodded.

"Okay thank you." I mumbled. She nodded at me then left, turning the corner. Cormac raised his eyes at me. I stuck my tongue out at him. We both laughed and he came over to sit on the chair next to my bed.

"I got you the same as me, bangers and mash. Is that okay?" he asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, it's my favourite. Thank you." I said. He smiled.

"You're welcome. Do you want help sitting up?" he asked. I bit my lip and nodded. He smiled.

"Do you want me to try picking you up then putting you back in a sitting position? It would probably be less painful" he asked. It could work.

"Okay, yes please." I said. He moved the sheet out of the way and placed and arm under my knees before placing his other arm around my waist.

"Put your arms around me," he whispered. I did as he said and he gently picked me up. He moved me up the bed a bit and slowly placed me back down in a sitting position, before propping the pillows up so I could lean back. He was right, it was less painful doing it that way.

"Thanks, it worked." I said as he pulled the sheet back over me. He smiled.

"No problem." He said. He handed me one of the plates and a knife and fork. Then he sat down and we started eating. As usual the house elves had down a wonderful job, it was delicious. We ate in mostly silence, occasionally talking about random things like quidditch and the ministry of magic. We finished and he took both our plates to wash them up in the hospital sink. He came back and sat down just before Madam Pomfrey came round the partition corner.

"Don't worry about the plates; I'm just going down for dinner myself so I'll take them with me. When I get back, I'll come on check on you okay Hermione?" she asked. I nodded.

"Thank you Madam Pomfrey," Cormac said. She smiled and nodded at him before leaving. I heard the door close and then a thought struck me.

"Am I the only one in the hospital wing?" I asked. Cormac nodded.

"There have been some unfortunates who came in under the effects of Weasley products but not much else." He said smiling. I laughed. Even though they had left school their pranks were still a number one seller in Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry.

"Okay," I said.

"Do you want a cup of tea? Madam Pomfrey said I'm free to help myself so I'm pretty sure you can too." He asked. I groaned.

"A cup of tea would be amazing! Thank you." I said smiling. He laughed and stood up.

"No problem, I'll be right back." He said before leaving. He came back shortly and handed me a mug of steaming tea. I sighed and sipped it. It was perfect.

"How do you make such good teas?" I asked. He laughed.

"It's a gift." He said. I laughed. We spent most of the evening joking around and talking. Madam Pomfrey came back and checked on me once but she left us alone for the most of it. It was coming up to about eight o'clock when another thought struck me.

"Have you been going to class?" I asked suddenly. He looked alarmed at my sudden outburst yet amused. He laughed.

"No, Eric and Mike have been bringing me classwork and homework. I'm not behind I promise you." He said. I smiled.

"Good. I don't want you to miss out on your education just to keep me company." I said. He rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Hermione, I would miss out on my whole education just to see you smile." He said. I blushed and looked down to the ground. Just as I did Erik and Mike turned the corner. They were talking animatedly and Mike was holding flowers. When they saw me they stopped talking and smiled.

"You're awake!" Erik said. I smiled and he came over and hugged me.

"Ooh, careful." I said. He jumped back.

"I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" he asked anxiously. I laughed.

"No, don't worry, I'm just paranoid at the moment." I said. He smiled and nodded. Mike came and hugged me, more carefully and placed the lilac flowers in the water filled vase on the other bedside table.

"Flowers for the injured lady," he said. I smiled.

"Thank you, they're lovely." I said. He smiled and nodded.

"I'll go look for more chairs," Cormac said. He winked at me then left. I smiled. I looked at Erik and saw his mouth hanging wide open.

"What happened?!" he asked. I frowned.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Mike laughed.

"He means with you and old Corms," he said. I laughed.

"Corms?" I asked trying to stop laughing as it was hurting quite a lot. He smiled.

"Yeah he doesn't like it either," he said. I just laughed more.

"No, no, I like it. I just think it's a funny name." I said when I finally calmed down.

"Okay, so tell us! What's going on between you two?" Erik asked excitedly.

"Nothing," I said. Mike crossed his arms.

"Fine, don't tell us. We'll get it out of Cormac sooner or later." He said. I rolled my eyes and Cormac came round the corner with two chairs. He placed them both on the opposite side to where his chair was and they all sat down.

"So, what brings you here?" I asked them. They gave me a look which clearly meant they thought the reason was obvious.

"We're here to see you, you numpty!" Erik said. I laughed and stopped myself before the pain could get worse.

"Oh right." I said. They smiled.

"We come every night," Mike said. I raised an eyebrow at Cormac. He smirked and shrugged. I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"A little someone forgot to mention that." I said. They glared at Cormac.

"You numpty!" Erik said. I laughed.

"Anyway, I'm so glad you're awake. When did you wake up?" Mike asked.

"This morning," I said. Erik groaned.

"We could have seen you at lunch! Or when classes finished!" he said. I smiled.

"You could've but I went back to sleep so there wouldn't have been much to see." I explained.

"Oh, okay. Fair enough." He said. Cormac laughed.

"Oh Cormac! I almost forgot. You're classwork and homework from today." Mike suddenly exclaimed, rummaging through his bag. He brought out quite a big pile of books and pieces of parchment.

"I've given you my notes from today as well and I expect them back in the same condition I gave you them in." he said. I smiled. That sounded like something I would say. Cormac groaned.

"Okay, thanks. Why is there so much?" he asked. I smiled.

"I can help you." I said. Cormac looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Hell no. You need to rest." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not tired. Plus what else am I supposed to do?" I asked. He sighed.

"You aren't doing my school work. This is the only time when you can relax and not worry about school. You're going to enjoy it whether you like it or not." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"I think you've forgotten who you're talking to." I said simply. He laughed.

"Fine. You can help a little, but when you start getting tired, you're going to sleep." He said.

"Yes sir!" I said. He just stuck his tongue out at me. I replied by doing the same. Erik and Mike burst out laughing and ended up rolling on the floor in tears. I tried extremely hard not to join in as I knew it would hurt like hell but I couldn't stop a few giggles escaping. Cormac just smiled and shook his head at them. They finally calmed down and got back onto their chairs. I raised an eyebrow at them.

"I'm sorry, it was just…you sounded like an old married couple!" Mike said before bursting out laughing again. Erik joined in and I slapped Mikes arm playfully.

"Are you trying to say I look old?" I asked. That sobered them.

"Of course not! You are most incredibly beautiful in your youthness…I don't think that's a word but oh well." Mike replied.

"He's right, there's not a single wrinkle on your glorious face!" Erik added. I just rolled my eyes.

"Whatever." I said. They smiled.

"Well, we had better leave you to your boring school work. I've already done it once and that was more than enough." Mike said, standing up. Erik stood up to and they hugged me.

"Okay, thanks for visiting me." I said. They smiled and bowed before leaving. I smiled and looked to the large pile of books that were sitting by my feet.

"Well, we had better get started." I said enthusiastically. Cormac just laughed and grabbed the first book, which just so happened to be Care Of Magical Creatures.

_A/N There you go! Another chapter. This one was quite long to make up for the long wait. Sorry again. Let me know what you think! Don't forget to let me know if you have a pairing request :) Please review!_

_TheAmazingPurpleNinja_

_xXx_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**A/N Another long wait. I'm so sorry. I don't really have an excuse so I'm just going to get on with it. Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer- Basically the same thing I say every chapter.**

Considering the fact that we had a whole day's worth of classwork to complete plus the load of homework we get daily, we managed to finish it rather fast. It was around half past ten when he closed the last book and placed it on top of the completed pile. He crossed his arms on the bed and laid his head on them.

"That's the biggest load I've gotten so far." He mumbled. I laughed.

"Well, if you went to class then you would only have to do homework in the evening." I reminded him. He looked up at me with quite a serious expression on his face.

"Don't you want me here?" he asked, looking hurt.

"Of course I do! I'm so grateful that you've stayed with me but I just feel selfish, keeping you here and making you do all this work after school when you could be learning and doing it in class." I explained. He took my hands in both of his.

"Hermione, please don't feel selfish or guilty. It's my decision to stay here with you and I'll deal with the consequences." He said solemnly. I smiled and nodded.

"Okay," I said. He winked at me and then moved the pile of books and parchments from the end of my bed to the floor. I looked up to the clock that was just visible above the main doors.

"It's nearly curfew." I said. It wouldn't normally be as late as eleven but since Cormac was a prefect he was allowed to stay out later.

"I can stay for another five minutes," he said. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"Fair enough, I just don't want you getting in trouble because of me." I said.

"I won't get in trouble," he said. I smiled.

"No, I don't imagine you will." I said. He smirked and placed his elbows on his knees, leaning on them.

"So, pretty lady. Is there anything that you require tomorrow?" he asked. I thought for a moment and eventually came to a conclusion.

"No, I don't think so. Thanks for asking though." I replied. He smiled.

"No problem." He said. A chiming sound came from the clock tower and I realised it was telling us that it was eleven. I sighed.

"I guess you have to go now," I said. He nodded and stood up, placing the chair against the privacy partition.

"It's been a pleasure, my lady." He said before picking my hand up and kissing the back of it. I giggled and he picked his books and parchments up, smirking as he did so. When he had gathered them all in his arms he turned to me and bowed.

"See you tomorrow, pretty lady." He said. I smiled.

"Bye," I said as he turned and left. I sighed in content and slowly shuffled down the bed, being careful not to hurt anything too much. When I was finally laying down I reached over and turned the bedside lamp off, bathing the room in darkness.

**There we go. **

**I'm thinking of starting a new story so if you have any pairing requests please let me know.**

**The next chapter should be up soon, since it's the Christmas holidays. Bye!**

**TheAmazingPurpleNinja**

**xXx**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**A/N Okay this is by far the quickest update yet. Hopefully I'll keep this up. Please tell me what you think :)**

**Disclaimer- The same thing I say every chapter :P**

It must be a dream. It definitely is a dream. You only get purple grass in dreams…or fiction. The again you don't generally get your head teacher in fiction. Therefore it must be a dream. Albus Dumbledore was standing in the middle of a shimmering purple field. The trees were shapes of candy canes and the clouds actually looked like the things you make them out to be. I started moving towards him and I got halfway there before I realised I was flying…the kind without brooms. I gasped and flapped my arms about. I waited for the dizziness and nausea to come which was a side effect to my fear of heights. When it didn't come I proceeded to move towards the thoughtful professor. When I reached him he turned to me and smiled.

"Hello, Hermione dear. It's lovely to see you." He said. I smiled back.

"You too headmaster." I replied politely. My feet gracefully landed in the soft strangely coloured grass and I was standing upright. I sighed in relief. Professor Dumbledore laughed.

"It's rather ironic that such a talented witch as you is afraid of heights. Don't you think?" he asked. I shrugged my shoulders. They felt as light as feathers.

"I guess so. I haven't really thought of it that way." I replied. He nodded and his friendly expression changed to one of concern and seriousness.

"It's coming Miss Granger. I think you know that somewhere inside you. You must prepare yourself and the others." He said, as he started slowing fading away. I frowned.

"What's coming? Prepare for what? What others? Professor wait!" I exclaimed to the now rapidly disappearing professor.

"You're a bright girl, you'll figure it out." He said faintly before dissolving completely.

"Professor no! Wait please! Stop, I don't understand. Please come back!" I screamed. The whole field started twisting and turning black and I was sucked out of there.

I jolted awake, sitting upright and causing a stabbing pain in my ribcage. My breathing was coming in short takes as I looked around. Cormac and Madam Pomfrey were standing on either side of the bed with concerned expressions on their faces.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Cormac asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. I nodded quickly, making myself lightheaded. I groaned and put a hand to my head. Cormac softly pushed me back against the pillows. I sighed.

"What happened?" I asked. Madam Pomfrey poured out a glass of water and handed it to me. I took a sip as Cormac started explaining.

"Well, I just got here. I came through the door and everything was fine. I got about half way here when I heard you screaming. I thought you'd fallen out of bed or something so I ran here and found you thrashing around in your sleep screaming. Madam Pomfrey had heard you and came just after me. It's taken us about ten minutes to wake you up." He explained. I frowned.

"I...uh...sorry. I didn't mean to alarm you." I said.

"It's quite alright Hermione. You didn't mean to do anything, you were asleep. What were you dreaming of though? If you don't mind me asking." Madam Pomfrey asked. I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to remember.

"Um, something about purple grass and flying. I can't really remember much." I replied. They both looked confused but let it go. I suddenly felt really tired.

"Um, Madam Pomfrey. When is it that I can leave today?" I asked. She pursed her lips.

"You're recovering quite well so It won't be as late as the evening but I'll see how you go this morning to determine a precise time." She replied. I nodded.

"Uh, I don't suppose I could possibly have a shower at some point could I? I haven't washed in at least 4 days." I asked. She smiled in an understanding way.

"If you can stand safely on your own then I will be happy to let you shower. Would you like to try right now or perhaps a little later?" she asked.

"Not right now, I'm still a little tired. Maybe in an hour or two. If that's alright?" I asked. She smiled and nodded before turning and leaving. I sighed and laid my head back. My ribs were still throbbing slightly from when I woke up. I winced.

"What's the matter?" Cormac asked anxiously. I smiled at him.

"it's nothing, I just hurt my ribs when I sat up. They'll be fine soon." I replied. He didn't look satisfied.

"Maybe you should let Madam Pomfrey look at them." He said. I shook my head.

"Seriously, it's fine. I just need to rest for a moment." I said. He nodded.

"Okay, I'll leave you alone for a bit. I'm going to talk to Madam Pomfrey about what happens when you leave. Will you be okay?" he asked. I smiled and nodded.

"If I can last a whole night on my own then I'm sure I can last half an hour." I replied. He stood up and kissed my forehead.

"I won't even be that long." He said before leaving. I smiled and closed my eyes, falling into a dreamless sleep.

**There we go. I hope you liked it, please review! **

**TheAmazingPurpleNinja**

**xXx**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**A/N Woooooooooow really long wait :3 I'M SORRY. Go ahead and read it :3 Let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer- Only the plot is mine, the rest is J.K's :D**

I didn't take long in the shower; I did what I had to do and got out. I'd passed Madam Pomfrey's standing test earlier so she'd let me have my privacy and freshen up. Cormac had chosen this time to go and get us some lunch from the main hall. There was a slight pain in my ankle after standing for so long, even though all my weight was on my good ankle, so I dried myself and get dressed as quick as I could without falling over or putting any weight on my bad ankle. It was harder than it sounds but I managed to do it and I emerged from the bathroom with my dirty towel and clothes on draped on my bad arm on one side and my crutch, which I was leaning on, on the other. Thankfully I'd broken my right ankle and my left wrist so I was able to use the crutch. Madam Pomfrey came rushing over to take the items from me and help me get back over to my bed. I was wearing a pair of black linen trousers and a red shirt with black pokadots. I shuffled back onto the pillow and relaxed.

"So, do you think I can leave after I've had lunch?" I asked Madam Pomfrey as she put my folded dirty clothes into a plastic bag and put it with my other belongings. She turned to me and smiled.

"Yes, you're recovering very well dear. It'll just take me a little while to explain everything you need to do but you should be out of here quite soon." She replied. I smiled.

"Okay, thank you so much." I said. She inclined her head and went to put my dirty towel in the wash. I started reading a muggle magazine that was lying on my bedside table as I waited for Cormac to return. After about ten minutes I heard a slight knock on the privacy partition.

"Are you decent?" Cormac's voice asked. I smiled.

"Yes," I replied and he walked round the corner with two plates in his hand.  
"Chicken and bacon salad, is that alright?" he asked, placing the plates on the side of my bed. I nodded.

"Yes, that's perfect. Thank you." I replied as he passed me my plate and cutlery before sitting down with his own meal. It looked delicious. As always. We ate mostly in a comfortable silence, occasionally making small talk; commenting on the food, the weather etc.

We finished eating and he went to wash up the plates while I poured us both a glass of water from the jug. He returned and downed it in one while I sipped mine daintily.

"Right, shall I go get Madam Pomfrey?" he asked me. I smiled and nodded, anxious to get out of here. He left and I had just finished my water when he returned with Madam Pomfrey who was holding a bag that seemed to be almost full.  
"Okay, let me explain. As I said yesterday, you need to take this potion three times a day; when you wake up, around midday and when you go to bed. You need to take it for at least another week and a half, so until next Saturday. This will help in healing your broken bones. You have a cast on your wrist and your ankle which are magical and therefore waterproof so you don't need to worry about them. I have a cream in this bag which you need to apply to your bruises twice a day for a week and once a day for another week. I don't recommend using any cover up spells as it will slow the healing. I also have a roll of bandages and surgical tape in this bag for your stomach, which you need to change every morning. Finally, are you still having headaches?" she explained. I nodded.  
"They aren't as bad as yesterday but they're still there." I told her. She nodded.  
"That will be from the cut on your head and the impact of the ground when you landed. Not to worry though, in this bag are some pills that you can take whenever you get a headache. I wouldn't normally let these leave my sight as they can be dangerous to non-injured personal but I trust you. However, it might be best to keep these hidden in a safe place and don't give them out to anyone. Okay?" she asked. I nodded.  
"Okay good. I think that's all. You'll need to come back in a week so I can check your improvement. Do you want me to write any of this down?" she asked Cormac. He shook his head.  
"No, I think we'll be alright thank you." He replied. She nodded and handed him the bag.  
"Now, do you think you'll make it back to your room on that crutch?" she asked me. I pursed my lips in thought for a moment.  
"I'm honestly not sure." I replied.  
"I can always help her if she gets tired. Do you have one big bag to put everything in?" Cormac asked. She looked thoughtful and then scurried away.  
"You don't have to do all of this you know," I told Cormac. He raised an eyebrow at me.  
"I know, I want to. Like I'm going to let anything happen to you again." He said smirking. I rolled my eyes and smiled. Madam Pomfrey returned with a purple muggle overnight holdall.  
"Will this do?" she asked.  
"Yes, that's perfect. Thanks." Cormac said, taking it from her and starting to pack all of my belongings and the medical items into it.  
"Thank you for everything, Madam Pomfrey." I said to her smiling. She took my hand in hers and smiled back.  
"It was my pleasure, Hermione." She said as Cormac placed the bag on the bed and handed me a red pump to put on my good foot. I leaned forward and slid it onto my bare foot. Then he handed me my black denim jacket and I slid my legs off the bed before putting it on. Madam Pomfrey handed me the crutch as Cormac came round the bed to help me up. He stood in front of me and lifted me down from my waist. I landed on my good foot and placed the other carefully on the ground. Cormac picked the bag up and slung it over his shoulder. I took a step and wobbled slightly. Cormac immediately took hold of my waist to steady me. He looked down at me with concern.

"I'm fine, promise." I told him reassuringly. He nodded reluctantly and let go of my waist slowly as if he was testing my balance.

"Ready?" he asked. I nodded and I hugged Madam Pomfrey and thanked her one last time before we headed for the doors.

**There you go, it's only been a year…. Review if you want, I'm not gunna pester you for them anymore as it's obviously not working ;)**

**TheAmazingPurpleNinja**

**xXx**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**A/N Yay another chapter up already, aren't I good to you? Maybe I'm just feeling guilty for not updating in about a year :3 Either way, here you go **

**Disclaimer- I only own the plot and a few characters, the rest belong to the wonderful J.K Rowling.**

After about twenty minutes we finally reached the Gryffindor common room. I'd done it mostly by myself apart from the stairs (I'd attempted it on the first set but soon came to the realisation that it would take all day so Cormac helpfully carried me bridal style). I was grateful that class was in session as I couldn't really deal with all the attention at the moment. We made our why across the empty room and yet again Cormac literally swept me off my feet while I clung to him and somehow managed to not drop the crutch. I stared at him in wonder at how fast he was able to climb stairs whilst carrying a heavy bag and a teenage girl. He didn't even stumble. He caught me looking at him and he winked at me. We made it to my dormitory and I pushed the door open, still in his arms. The door swung wide open but Cormac stayed where he was. I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Do you reckon anything will happen if I step inside a girls dormitory? I've heard horror stories about previous attempts and I'd really like the ability to have children in the future." He explained. I burst out laughing which made me choke on the pain and I ended up coughing my lungs up which hurt even more. Cormac immediately stood me on my good ankle but kept both arms around me. With one arm I clung to his shoulders and with the other I grabbed my torso as if it would dim the pain. I groaned and took as deep a breath as I was able to. Tears had formed in my eyes and I blinked them away before I looked up at Cormac so I didn't worry him even more.

"I'm okay," I said in a breathy voice. He frowned and I could see he didn't believe me. I sighed and kissed him full on the lips. I pulled back smiling.

"See? Fine." I said. He smirked and turned back to the dormitory. I took a step in and pulled him after me. He reluctantly walked fully in and closed the door behind him.

"Well seeing as you're not screaming in agony I'm guessing those horror stories really were just stories." I said smirking. He rolled his eyes but smiled.

"Well better safe than sorry." He said. I raised my eyebrows but didn't comment. He followed me to my bed and placed the bag on it. I sat next to it and watched as he began to unpack all the medical objects. I'd never realised how much one person could need.

"Where do you want me to put all this?" he asked. I pursed my lips before realising the perfect place. Except there's no way in hell he was going to put it there.

"Uh, I'll do that. Would you mind putting those clothes in the wash bin in the bathroom please?" I asked pointing to the bag of dirty clothes. He nodded and picked it up before walking off into the adjoining room. I stood up and shuffled over to my bedside table.

"Aloha mora" I whispered. The secret draw in it popped open and I moved all my underwear, "womanly objects" and diary into a bag before shrinking it and putting it back in the draw alongside the medical equipment. I locked the draw shut again just as Cormac walked back in.

"Was I not meant to see that?" he asked as he came up behind me and placed his arms carefully around me waist.

"No, it's fine if you know about it because I actually trust you." I said, twisting my head to look at him.

"Good to know," he said smirking before kissing my cheek and stepping back. I awkwardly turned around and put my arms around his neck to give him the biggest hug I could. He gently placed his hands around me and gave the smallest squeeze in existent.

"Thank you," I whispered in his ear "For everything." Just then the door slammed open and Lavender and Padma entered. They were chatting animatedly and when they saw us they froze. Cormac stepped back, keeping a hand on the small of my back.

"Hermione!" Lavender screeched before running over and hugging me gently. I looked at Cormac and saw that he looked just as surprised as I did.

"Uhh, hi Lavender." I said as she stood back.

"I've been so worried! Thank you so much for saving me, how can I repay you? Anything! Just name it." She said. My eyes probably looked like golf balls.

"Um, it's fine Lavender, I don't want anything." I replied. She gave me a sceptical look.

"Come on Hermione, I owe you my life. Fine, how about we make a deal?" she suggested.

"Yeah okay," I said. She glanced at Cormac before leaning in close to whisper to me.

"First of all, Cormac's all yours; I won't interfere or mention it again. Secondly," she stepped back. "If you ever need ANYTHING then don't hesitate to ask me, okay?" she asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Okay Lavender, thanks" I said. She smiled sweetly and walked back over to Padma who was still hesitating in the doorway. I looked at Cormac and saw he was shifting awkwardly.

"Uhh, I'm guessing you'll want me to leave now so I'll go and collect today's work from Mike. Are you gunna be okay?" he said, addressing the last part to me. I smiled and nodded.

"Alright, I'll come back in about two hours yeah?" he asked, stepping over to hug me. I nodded and pulled him down for a kiss.

"Hmm, maybe sooner." He whispered, pressing his forehead against mine. I smiled.

"Okay, say hi to them for me," I said, stepping back. He nodded before kissing my hand and walking out. I smiled to myself and gingerly sat down on my bed.

"Oh. My. Gosh." I heard Lavender and Padma say in unison. I looked over to their beds and realised the were staring in my direction with open mouths.

"Wow Hermione, I knew he's stayed with you the whole time but I didn't know things had progressed that much!" Lavender exclaimed grinning.

"Are you two like a thing now?" Padma asked. I smirked.

"I guess so, yeah. Are you sure you're okay with it Lavender? I'm not gunna stop seeing him but if it makes you uncomfortable I can make sure not to do anything in front of you." I offered. She just smiled and rolled her eyes.

"No, don't be silly. It's fine. Besides, I've already moved on to a new target who actually likes me." She explained. I laughed; maybe we could actually become friends.

**A/N TA DA :3 Yeah that's right, they're official now ;) I kinda know where this story is going but if you have any opinion that you wanna tell me, please don't hesitate to let me know **

**TheAmazingPurpleNinja**

**xXx**


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